With the New Year upon us, many moms will start the year with vim and vigor as they set out to make good on their New Years resolution of weight loss. Did you make a New Years resolution this year to finally lose the baby weight (regardless of whether your "babies" are 3 months or 30 years) and get healthy? So did millions of other mothers. So, what lets one mother achieve health and weight loss success while so many others fail at it time and time again? I am an ordinary busy mom of 2 who has had an amazing lifestyle transformation. I have successfully lost and maintained a 113 lb weight loss without surgery or diet drugs. I'd like to give you some of my top Wisdom Moms Weight Loss Tips to get 2009 of to a healthy start for you:

1. Long-term Success Has Less To Do With The Type of Diet Than Your Dedication To It: That being said, it is virtually impossible to be "dedicated" to a fad diet because, while in the beginning you may be saying "Yahoo!" To all the bacon, burgers and fat you can stomach, by the end of the first few weeks your body will be calling out for that ever so delicious, but oh so off-limits carrot stick. It just doesn't make sense! In order to actually stick with something you have to keep up your commitment to it - for a LIFETIME - so find a weight loss plan that takes that into account.

2. Transition Yourself Into a Healthy Lifestyle: I know you have good intentions about starting to lead a healthier lifestyle, and I'm proud of you! But if you've never run a day in your life, and wake up first thing this morning committed to running 5 miles, you are setting yourself up for failure! Don't expect your body to do what it has never been programmed to do! It is not only okay to ease into a lifestyle transformation, it is actually recommended! If you can start to set reasonable, daily, achievable goals for yourself, before you know it, you will have created NEW healthy habit patterns and you will actually be running those miles no problem!

3. Variety is the Spice of Life: A truly maintainable healthy diet should include a combination of quality foods that can provide complete nutrition to you. It should be multi-dimensional. Dieting doesn't have to equal deprivation! In my quest to lose 113lbs I actually ate 5-6 times a day, didn't feel hungry or deprived, and had increased energy! I was continually providing my body with the fuel that it needed to run efficiently, and by burning the right "fuel" it was burning the excess fat through a process called thermogenics! When considering making a healthy lifestyle transformation, make sure your plan includes a great variety of healthy fun foods that work in your bodies favor!

4. That Which Is Measured Improves: A key factor in weight loss success and lifestyle transformation is the ability to set, track and record your goals. I realize you are a busy mom and might feel like you don't have time for all that "recording", but you will be amazed at how much you can lose if the ONLY adjustment you made in your whole life was to just become accountable for your habits! Once you start recording your lifestyle behaviors (emotional, exercise, and eating) you can really look back and be reflective and make adjustments where you need to.

5. Don't Downplay Your Emotions: Your emotions play a HUGE role in your ability to lose weight successfully. I identified a system for losing the "LBS", or what I refer to as Limiting-Belief-Systems, by recognizing the "emotional" eating aspect of weight loss. You can teach yourself how to put a muzzle on your internal "Yappy-Dog", your "Self-Critic" and watch your weight loss results soar, just by being aware of the emotions you have surrounding eating and food!

By changing your lifestyle and not just your diet, you will be able to achieve weight loss success for life! I truly wish you all the best for your transformation in 2009!